What Is Heaven?
Christians agree that God invites us all to end our lives in a state of being called 'heaven'; that is, in a personal relationship...
There is Much Hope: My Experience at the National Eucharistic Congress
A couple of weeks ago in Indianapolis, IN, 60,000 Catholics gathered together for a five-day National Eucharistic Congress. I was blessed to be one...
19th Sunday: The Merciful Presence of God
And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence (1 Kings 19:...
Tolkien, Discernment, and Vocation in The Lord of the Rings
The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, issued from the Second Vatican Council, emphasized the point that every person has a vocation to...
Why is There Purgatory?
“All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo...
18th Sunday: The Bread of Life and the Canon of Holy Mass
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. (Jn 6:33)
As we listen to our Lord’s Eucharistic...
Pope Benedict and Saint Eusebius of Vercelli
This morning I invite you to reflect on St Eusebius of Vercelli, the first Bishop of Northern Italy of whom we have reliable information....
Why Does Hell Exist?
“The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a...
Francisco Guerrero’s Ave Virgo
A fitting way to begin this month of August, dedicated to Our Lady, with some music in her honour. Here is a motet by...
Sanctus Petrus in Vincula
(Besides being the memorial of the patron saint of moral theologians, Saint Alphonsus Ligouri, this August 1st is also the traditional feast of Saint...
